Lock cylinder



Oct. 8, 1968 w. E. BEST 3,404,549

LOCK CYLINDER Filed April 14, 1966 INVENTOR United States Patent3,404,549 LOCK CYLINDER Walter Edwin Best, Indianapolis, Ind., assignorto Best Lock Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of DelawareFiled Apr. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 542,507 12 Claims. (Cl. 70370) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A formed sheet-metal lock-cylinder or housing for aremovable lock core. Three formed cup-shaped sheetstock piece partshaving front flanges are nested together with their front flangesinterlocked to form a face flange and to prevent axial and rotationaldisplacement of the parts. The outer cup forms a body for insertion in alockreceiving bore, the intermediate cup or tub defines a shaped openingto receive an S-Shaped core, and the third piece part is a face memberwhich covers the face flange and forms a seat for the front flange ofthe core. The core is locked in place by engagement of a key actuatedretainer behind the rear face or shoulder of the tub. A throw member fordriving a secondary locking mechanism is rotationally mounted in thebottom wall of the outer cup.

This invention relates to a lock cylinder for mounting a lock core in adoor or the like for control of a secondary locking mechanism such as arim night latch or mortise lock.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved lock cylinderadapted to accommodate a key-removable interchangeable core, which willbe of light weight and great strength and may be made of a variety ofmetals as desired, with different parts of different metals if desired;which will require a minimum of machining op erations, and which may becomposed in its entirety of one or more piece parts produced from sheetstock b stamping or drawing operations.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lock cylinder iscomposed of piece parts formed from sheet stock, and comprises an outerbody wall for insertion in a door bore or cavity, joined at the front toa face structure forming the exposed portion of the cylinder andproviding a radial flange to lie against the face of the door, and thebody is preferably provided with internal or external threads forengagement by screws or other retaining means. The face structuredesirably defines a counter-sunk opening to pass the body of the lockcore and to seat and retain its front flange, and a transverse wallspaced rearward from the face structure is formed to pass the rearwardportion of the lock core and to provide a stop behind which is lockinglug or other retainer on the core engages to prevent core removal exceptby proper key retraction of the locking lug. Desirably, the cylinderalso provides a second transverse wall spaced rearward from thecore-retaining wall, in which is mounted a drive mechanism forinterconnecting the lock core to operate the secondary lockingmechanism.

The accompanying drawing shows a preferred embodiment and illustratesthe invention.

In such drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a lock cylinder embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an axial section view taken on the line 22 of FIGS. 1 and 3,and showing a drive mechanism for operating a secondary lockingmechanism such as a rim night latch;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

3,404,549 Patented] Oct. 8, 1968 FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the drivemechanism, taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmental sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a key-removable interchangeable core;

FIG. 7 is a fragmental axial sectional view similar to FIG. 2, taken onthe line 7-7 of FIG. 8, showing a modification in which the cylinder isprovided with external threads and the drive mechanism is of the typerequired on a mortise cylinder; and

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation of the modification shown in FIG. 7.

A preferred form of key-removable lock core 40 is shown in FIG. 6. Thiscomprises a body 42 having the configuration of two intersectingparallel cylinders, commonly referred to as a figure-8 shape, with anarrow radial flange at the front, and having a flat front core face 41.A retaining lug 45 projects laterally from the side of the body at therear, and is retractable by a control key 46. The core includes akey-opearted rotor having rear drive openings for engagement with athrow member as described below.

The lock cylinder of FIGS. 1-5 comprises a deepdrawn cup having acylindrical side wall 29, a rear transverse wall 28, and a front radialflange 31. The front radial flange contains two diametrically oppositenotches 37 and 39, in the plane of FIG. 2.

Within the front of the cup 30 is nested a second deep drawn member,conveniently referred to as a tub 32. This has a flange 33 at its frontedge which lies against the radial flange 31 of the cup 30 and has a tab38 which fits into the notch 37 of the flange 31 to orient the tubrotationally in the cup 30. The tub 32 has a drawn section of oval crosssection, oriented with its long axis extending diametrically across thecylindrical cup 30; and the bottom of the tub 32 forms a transverse wall47 intermediate the length of the cup 30.

A cylinder face member 34 in the form of a shallow drawn stamping nestswithin the drawn section of the tub 32. It has a radial face wall whichlies against the flange 33 of the tub 32 and is joined at its edges to arearward-extending axial flange 35 which is crimped under the flanges 31and 33 of the cup 30 and tub 32 to secure the three nested partstogether. The crimped-under edge 36 of the face member, at 69, is stakedinto such notch 39 of the rim 31 to fix the face member 34 againstrotation with respect to the cup 30.

The bottom wall of the face member 34 and the bottom wall of the tub 32are each provided with figure-S-shaped openings 43 and 44, adapted toclosely receive and pass the similarly-shaped body 42 of the lock coreshown in FIG. 6. The drawn portion of the face member 34 comprises aside-wall 34' which, in cross section, has the same figure-8shape as theopening 43, but is sufiiciently larger to receive the flange at thefront of the core 40. As the result, the opening 43 in the bottom wallof the face member 34 is bounded by a narrow, inward-extending flange43' which forms a forwardly-presented seat or shoulder for the rearsurface of the front flange of the lock core 40.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 show that the front wall of the face member 34 extendsin a fiat plane from the outer circular edge of flange 35 inward to theline at which it joins the side Wall 34 of the drawn portion of the facemember. The depth of the drawn portion may be substantially equal to orslightly greater than the axial thickness of the front flange of thelock core 40, so that when the lock core 40 is inserted in the cylinder,the core face 41 will be coplanar with, or slightly recessed from theface of the cylinder, for protection of the core.

The position of the rear wall 47 of the: drawn tub 32 is such that itforms a shoulder immediately in front of the retaining lug 45 of thelock core when such core is inserted in the cylinder with its faceflange seated in the drawn cavity of the face member 34. The generallyoval configuration of the drawn section of the tub 32 locates its sidewall 32' closely about the drawn side wall 34 of the face member at theend portions of the oval, but the mid portions of the oval need notcurve inward with the side wall of the face member and are desirablyflat as shown. One flat mid section of the side wall 32 of the tub 32lies close to the point 49 at which the retaining lug of the lock core40 will engage behind the bottom wall 47 of the tub 32 and serves tostrengthen that bottom wall as a retaining stop for the lock. Othershapes may be used to obtain such reinforcing relationship.

For the purpose of retaining the lock cylinder assembly in place in itsmounting, its rear wall 28 is pierced at two spaced points to formsquirts 68 which are internally threaded for the reception of retainingscrews.

As noted above, the lock-core receiving openings 43 and 44 in the bottomwalls of the face member 34 and tub 32 have the configuration of twointersecting circles. Coaxially with one of such circles, the bottomwall 28 of the cup 30 is provided with a circular opening for mountingthe drive mechanism. Such drive mechanism comprises a throw memberhaving two parallel legs bent forward from a plate 51 of circularconfiguration and of a diameter somewhat larger than the Opening in thewall 28. The plate 51 lies against the front face of the wall, over suchopening, and is provided with two diametrically opposite notches 57,angularly spaced 90 degrees from the legs, 50, which receive tabs 52integral with the side walls of a mounting cup 53. At angularly spacedpoints from such tabs 52, portions of the side walls of the cup 53 arebent outward to form tabs 56. The mounting cup 53 is rotatably receivedin the opening in the cap bottom wall 28 with its tabs 56 against theouter face of such wall 28 and with its tabs 52 extending through thewall 28 and the notches 57 of the plate 51. The tabs 52 are bent inwardover the face of the plate 51 to secure the cup 53 and the throw members50 together as a rotatable assembly in the wall 28.

The bottom wall of the cup 53 is provided with a crossshaped hole 54 forthe reception of the hooked front end of a tail piece 55, at 90locations. The tail piece serves as the drive link between the cylinderassembly and a secondary locking mechanism such as a rim night latch,not shown.

In use, the lock cylinder of FIGS. 15 is inserted in a cylindrical holein a door or the like, with the crimpedunder edge 36 of its front flangelying against the face of the door adjacent the edge of the hole, and issecured in place by screws threaded into the squirts 68. The tail piece55 is inserted in an appropriate position in the cross-shaped hole 54and its free end is engaged in the secondary locking mechanism, such asa rim night latch mounted on the opposite face of the door. Akey-removable lock core 40 as shown in FIG. 6 is inserted through theopenings 43 and 44 of the face member 34 and tub 32, with its reardrive-openings engaged over the legs 50 of the throw member. Suchinsertion of the core 40 carries its front flange into the drawn sectionof the face member and against the seat formed by the inward-extendingflange about the opening 43 of the face member 34, and locates the faceof the core 40 substantially coplanar with or slightly behind the frontface of the cylinder. During this insertion, the control key 46 willhave been actuated to retract the locking lug 45 of the lock core 40 topermit the figure-8 configuration of the core body 42 to pass throughthe correspondingly-shaped openings 43 and 44. When the core 40 is fullyseated in the cylinder assembly, the lug 45 will lie close behind theinner wall of the tub 32, at the point 49, and when the control key 46is turned to removal position, the lug 45 will be projected outward tolie behind such point 49 of the inner wall 47 of the tub 32, and thelock core 40 will be secured in place in the cylinder. With such a corein place, the only exposed surfaces will be those of the face member 34and the face 41 of the lock core 40. The surface of the face member 34can be made of material selected primarily for appearance, while theother parts of the cylinder may be made of material selected forstrength or other characteristics.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the front portion of thecylinder 67 is the same as the modification of FIGS. 15. In the drivemechanism, a cam 59 is used instead of the tail piece 55. The cam 59 ismounted flat against the end wall of the cup 66 of the cylinder 67, andis connected through a hole in such wall to a throw member 60. This hastwo forward-extending legs bent up from its base plate 62, and atangularly spaced points, two tabs 61 are bent downward from the plate 62to extend through the hole in the bottom wall of the cup 66 and intoholes 63 in the cam 59. The ends of the tabs 61 are staked at 04 to fixthe cam 59 and throw member 60 together as a rotatable assembly in thebottom wall of the cylinder 67.

Threads 65 on the outside of the cup 66 permit the cylinder 67 to bescrewed into a mortise lock in conventronal manner.

The size and length of the cup 30 in the modification of FIGS. 15 and ofthe cup 66 in the modification of FIGS. 7 and 8 can, of course, bevaried to suit the intended installation and the lock core 40 which isto b used with the cylinder. Likewise, the position of the intermediatewall formed by the bottom of the tub can be at any longitudinal locationwithin the cylinder to match the longitudinal position of the lug orother retaining means of the lock core which is used; and the drawnsections and openings in the face plate and tub can be shaped to fitabout the lock core used. I also contemplate that the core-retainingintermediate wall can be formed in the cylinder by means other than theuse of a tub 32, and that tub and face member may be used in combinationto support a lock core 40 with other structure different from the cup 30or even along without the cup 30. The invention contemplates suchchanges as may be made within the scope of the patent claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lock cylinder comprising an assembly including two interfittedelements formed of sheet stock, such assembly having a front peripheralface flange adapted to lie in a plane against the face of a door, saidinterfitted elements each having a drawn side wall extending normal tothe plane of said face flange and having a transverse member, saidelements having abutting portions which prevent relative movement in onedirection, one of said elements providing a forwardly-pressed shoulderin fixed position spaced from the front of said face flange and forminga stop for engagement by a rearwardly-presented shoulder on a lock core,the other of said elements p viding a rearwardly-presented shoulder infixed position spaced from the forwardly-presented shoulder and forminga stop for forward engagement by a lock core retaining means to preventforward removal of the lock core, at least one of said transversemembers including a sheetstock wall defining an opening for thelongitudinal reception of the body of the lock core and shaped toprevent rotation of the body, and means on said cylinder for engagementwith retaining means to secure said cylinder in the place relative tothe door.

2. A lock cylinder as in claim 1 comprising a drawn cup providing anouter side wall and having an integral peripheral flange at its frontend which at least partially forms said front face flange.

3. A lock cylinder as in claim 2, in which said rear ward facingshoulder is on a transverse wall supported intermediate the length ofsaid drawn cup, and said drawn cup has a bottom wall spaced rearwardfrom said transverse wall.

4. A lock cylinder as in claim 3 with the addition of drive mechanismrotatably mounted in said bottom wall of the cup.

5. A lock cylinder as in claim 4, in which said drive mechanismcomprises a sheet-stock part having a base plate bearing against oneface of said cup bottom wall and forwardly bent throw legs extendingtherefrom, and a retainer member bearing against the opposite face ofsaid cup bottom wall and secured to said base plate through a hole insaid cup bottom wall.

6. A lock cylinder as in claim 2, comprising a tub having a front flangeoverlying and rotationally oriented with respect to the rim of saiddrawn cup, said tub having a section extending longitudinally withinsaid cup, said rearwardly presented shoulder being provided by said tub,and means to secure said cup and tub together.

7. A lock cylinder as in claim 6, in which said tub section has a sidewall closely adjacent to and supporting said rearwardly presentedshoulder stop.

8. A lock cylinder as in claim 6, comprising a face member having a facewall overlying the flanges of said cup and tub, the edges of said memberbeing bent rearward and crimped under said flanges to secure the partstogether, said face member having an inwardly disposed seat forming saidforwardly presented shoulder stop for engagement by arearwardly-presented shoulder on the lock core.

9. A lock cylinder as in claim 8 adapted to receive a lock core having abody in the configuration of two intersecting parallel cylinders with asimilarly shaped flange at the front thereof and a retractable retaininglug rearward thereof, in which lock cylinder the said face member formsa recessed seat shaped to receive said lock-core flange, and said tubhas a section of oval cross section in which the recessed seat portionof the face member is nested, and said cup has a rear wall provided withan opening coaxial with one of the parallel cylinders of the lock core,in which a drive mechanism is rotationally mounted for operativelyconnecting the lock core to secondary locking mechanism.

10. A lock cylinder as in claim 1, comprising a drawn tub having aradial flange wall which at least partially forms said face flange, andhaving a drawn section xtending rearward therefrom, saidrearwardly'presented shoulder stop being supported by said tub drawnsection.

11. A lock cylinder as in claim 10 comprising a face member having aface wall overlying said tub flange Wall and secured thereto, and havinga recessed seat portion nested in said tub drawn section and formingsaid forward-presented shoulder.

12. A lock cylinder as in claim 11 in which the face flange in circular,said recessed seat has the configuration of two intersecting circlesoflset in diametrically opposite directions from the center of the faceflange, and said tub drawn section is of oval cross section with thelong axis thereof in the diametrical direction of such offset.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,024,371 4/1912 Soley 70-451 X1,343,712 6/1920 Eras et a1 70-370 r 1,543,314 6/1925 Best 70-370 291,564,463 12/1925 Best 70-380 1,675,594 7/1928 Bouchery. 2,620,64812/1952 Quigley 70 -379 2,707,385 5/1955 Fisler 70-380 X 2,801,5368/1957 Best 70-449 X 30 3,233,440 2/1966 Strauss 370 3,286,773 11/1966Russell et a1 70 -449 X FOREIGN PATENTS 3 395,036 5/1924 Germany.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE Washington, D.C. 20231 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,404,549October 8, 1968 Walter Edwin Best It is certified that error appears inthe above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 55, "is" should read a Column 2, line 21, "opearted"should read operated Column 4, line 52, "forwardly-pressed" should readforwardly-presented line 65, cancel "the", first occurrence. Column 6,line 14, "in" should read is Signed and sealed this 3rd day of March1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

